Saunders: Legendary announcer Tim McCarver to work final World Series

By Dusty SaundersSpecial to The Denver Post

Posted:
07/15/2013 12:01:00 AM MDT

Baseball announcer Tim McCarver is broadcasting's Mr. October, credited with covering more World Series than any other announcer. McCarver is retiring at the end of this season. (Kathy Willens, The Associated Press)

Tim McCarver, retiring at the end of this season, broadcasts his 22nd Major League All-Star Game on Tuesday night. The game will be on Fox (KDVR-31 in Denver).

But he seems more enthusiastic about recalling the two games he played in as a St. Louis Cardinals catcher in 1966 and 1967 — both won by the National League in extra innings.

During a conference call, he remembered the 1966 event — with wistful reverence — when Sandy Koufax made his final All-Star Game appearance in a lineup that included Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente. The NL won 2-1 in 10 innings.

McCarver caught Tom Seaver for one inning, with the New York Mets star earning the save, the next year when the NL repeated a 2-1 victory — this time in 15 innings.

Rockies fans should have more than a casual interest in the game at the Mets' Citi Field, because Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki were selected as starters for the NL and Michael Cuddyer is a reserve.

The Rockies seldom are on nationally televised games. Area followers will be curious about how McCarver and Buck evaluate the team.

Tough challenge. Golf purists call it "the Open." Everyday golf fans refer to the tournament as "the British Open," which ESPN will cover for four days beginning Thursday.

Regardless of the tournament title, everyone connected with golf agrees: Muirfield, near historic Edinburgh, the site of this year's tournament, is one of the most challenging courses in the British Empire, featuring long, green fairways and tough, tangled roughs.

ESPN's crew invites you to ask Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods about the challenges.

In 1972, Nicklaus, winner of the Masters and the U.S. Open, faltered at Muirfield. Woods followed Nicklaus' Muirfield path in 2002.

In a recent conference call, Mike Tirico, making his 17th appearance as ESPN's tournament host, said the British Open is more of a world golf championship than the other majors.

"The international qualifying rules and the number of players participating give the tournament that distinction," he said.

Reporting will include why remains an all-male tradition — something that probably won't be addressed on ESPN.

July dribbles. George Karl is gone from the coaching bench. Masai Ujiri has cleaned out his executive desk. Andre Iguodala doesn't have a Denver uniform.

But the Nuggets are still playing on Altitude.

Denver began a three-game summer league schedule in Las Vegas on Saturday night, losing 88-74 to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Two more Nuggets games will be on Altitude — against the Chicago Bulls (8 p.m. Monday) and the Washington Wizards (8:30 p.m. Tuesday).

Longtime Denver journalist Dusty Saunders writes about sports media each Monday in The Denver Post. Contact him at tvtime@comcast.net.

Tom Helmer happy to be back in TV business

After Root Sports fired Tom Helmer from Rockies coverage 18 months ago, about 75 fans showed up in a long beer-drinking protest at Blake Street Tavern.

How many will show up July 29 at Broncos training camp to welcome Helmer back to Denver television?

KCNC-Channel 4 has hired Helmer as the full-time replacement for Gary Miller, who left after 22 years to pursue radio work on ESPN, covering the CSU football and basketball programs and hosting a weekday sports talk show.

Helmer joins the CBS affiliate next Monday, and will make his TV debut a week later.

After his abrupt departure from Root Sports, Helmer found some part-time work on Altitude's round-table sports shows and provided occasional sideline reporting last fall during Big Ten and Comcast college football coverage.

After reading about Miller's decision in this column, Helmer contacted Channel 4 executives.

"To say I'm delighted to be back full time on the Denver sports TV scene is an understatement," Helmer said.

The longevity of his contract has not been announced.

Helmer attracted positive and negative reviews for his enthusiastic (to say he least) pregame and postgame Rockies coverage from the Coors Filed Rockpile.

"They mentioned something about 'going in a different direction.' Most of the executives — here and in Seattle (Root's home base) — are no longer connected with the company."

After Root Sports fired Tom Helmer from Rockies coverage 18 months ago, about 75 fans showed up in a long beer-drinking protest at the Blake Street Tavern.

How many will show up July 29 at Broncos training camp to welcome Helmer back to Denver television?

KCNC-Channel 4 has hired Helmer as the full-time replacement for Gary Miller, who left after 22 years to pursue radio work on ESPN, covering the Colorado State football and men's basketball teams and hosting a weekday sports talk show.

Helmer joins Denver's CBS affiliate next Monday and will make his TV debut a week later.

After his abrupt departure from Root Sports, Helmer found part-time work on Altitude's roundtable sports shows and provided occasional sideline reporting last fall during Big Ten Conference and Comcast college football coverage.

After reading about Miller's departure in this column, Helmer contacted Channel 4 executives.

"To say I'm delighted to be back full time on the Denver sports TV scene is an understatement," Helmer said.

The longevity of his contract hasn't been announced.

Helmer attracted positive and negative reviews for his enthusiastic (to say the least) pregame and postgame Rockies coverage from the Rockpile at Coors Field.

He also was involved in Rockies studio shows.

"I still don't know the specific reasons why Root Sports let me go," Helmer said. "They mentioned something about 'going in a different direction.' Most of the executives — here and in Seattle (Root's home base) — are no longer connected with the company."

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